Chapter 170 - Classroom of the Elite: Checkmate 28

Chapter 28 – Piece

Remnants of hot water dripped down my bare skin after I turned the shower control to its default position. Faint squelching sounds reached my ears as I took two small steps towards the moist door handle. I opened the misty stall panel in order to snatch the white bath sheet I had hung over the cold, metallic rack outside and heaved a sigh.

A chilly breeze crept up my skin, causing goosebumps to form.

My whole body shivered before I began to dry myself off.

The soft, comfortable towel slid along my fair skin as I rubbed my back and upper body to regain some of the warmth I had lost as soon as I turned off the shower. I swabbed my stomach and finished up with my slender arms and legs, which were the least affected by the cold, numbing sensation.

Multiple muffled squashing sounds rang through the bathroom as I trudged towards the foggy mirror. My eyes focused on the blurry, unrecognizable reflection that was disrupted by beads of water that dribbled along the steamed up glass, the frame and even the smooth white walls which spun around me.

How often had I thought about smashing it into pieces?

An uncomfortable squeak followed my trembling fingers, which drifted along the misty panel, revealing my despondent expression. The queasy frown on my face deepened and turned into disgust as I peered along my torso.

My weight shifted forward as I propped myself against the sink.

The miserable weakness in my arms and knees was neither caused by the heat in the bathroom, nor that I had showered with hot water for such a prolonged period. It was induced by my own reflection and the following revolting memories that made my insides squirm like worms, bugs or other abominable vermin as a dizzy, nauseating feeling spread through every fiber of my being.

This brief vulnerability was followed by awful retching noises, which were accompanied by a repugnant stench that invaded my nose — a constant reminder of the things I wanted, yet couldn't forget. Heavy, putrid breaths escaped my quivering mouth as threads of fresh vomit dangled off my pale lips.

"Haaa..."

Even after all this time, nothing had changed.

Neither the past, nor I.

My unsteady fingers reached for the faucet and pushed against the handle various times until I managed to apply enough force for the water to flow from the spout. I rinsed my mouth to get rid of this nasty, lingering taste, which I should have grown accustomed to by now.

A dejected, belittling laugh slipped my lips as I stared at my own shadow that kept making fun of my weak, pitiful self with the same mocking expressions that adorned my face.

This thought alone demonstrated how broken I was when I didn't mime the lively, cheerful girl. Despite my dearest wishes, there was no way to revive the parts that had died a long time ago.

I heaved a sigh and dried my hair.

Why did I have to go through such an awful experience?

Why did I still have to suffer after such a long time?

Those questions swirled through my mind each day, yet I never found an answer.

Most of the boys and girls didn't like me, but I couldn't care any less about their opinions and aversions. Those abhorrent, almost childish thoughts didn't hurt me anymore because they were nothing compared to the things I had endured over weeks and months during my middle school days.

Nothing — in face of this one nightmarish day when I lost everything.

My youth, my friends and even myself.

At this moment, I had realized something important.

There was no need for friends. I also didn't have to experience a proper youth like any other teenage girl. The most important thing was protecting myself, so that I never had to go through similar horrors again.

For this, I would do whatever it takes.

Because I am a parasite.

A weak, miserable creature that couldn't survive on its own.

Three pleasant days had passed since the island exam ended.

During this time, I had shared a meal with Onodera and her friends, after I declined her invitation to swim a few rounds together because of my accident and the resulting, albeit nonexistent, injuries. Frustrated by my inability to compete against her, she made me promise to revisit this conversation once we were back at school.

I didn't mind hanging out with her more, so I agreed.

Chiaki and I had planned to wander over the ship and visit all available establishments to enjoy our victory, but she soon led us into a nice, secluded coffee shop to take a break, since she had noticed my worsening limp throughout our date. The remaining plans were scratched out of consideration and she even rewarded me with a, in her words, comforting massage because there had been no other customers around.

Unfortunately, her technique was lacking — or downright terrible.

Suzune also texted me a few times, but we decided not to meet up because she was worried about my condition as well. She had phrased this in her usual roundabout, yet strangely charming way, but acknowledged her concern for my health after I was banned from calling her 'Suzune' another three or four times.

Ichinose was still beating herself up over the choice she was forced to make on the island. Amikura said that she hadn't left their cabin even once and holed herself up underneath her blanket when someone was around. She and her other roommates brought meals and wanted to keep her company, but their mournful leader denied their kind gestures, telling them not to worry about her and have fun for the rest of our trip.

Aside from this, there was a small matter that kept bugging me.

"Kiyotaka?"

Another cute girl glanced at my expressionless face.

She lay beside me and used my right arm as a pillow of sorts, while she tapped around on her phone. Instead of chatting with her friends like usual, she scrolled through multiple shopping apps to check the stores in our school for clothes.

I wasn't sure if she wanted to purchase a new outfit for herself, or if she was tasked with helping someone who had a similar size, but I wasn't curious enough to ask, so I just let her browse in silence.

We hadn't seen or talked to each other for the past few days until she stood in front of the door this morning. Her face had been adorned with her usual bright smile as her skirt and snow-white shirt danced in the fresh ocean breeze, emphasizing her mesmerizing figure.

She had asked to enter, like a beautiful starving vampire that was about to suck its victim dry.

Kikyou had taken some time off and worked through the jumbled up emotions that had swirled through her mind after our kiss. I didn't know how long she waited for Hirata to leave, but she had lingered around until I was alone, which meant that she arrived at a satisfying conclusion.

Despite her usual vigilance, she seemed to have overlooked that her current position allowed me to examine her cleavage and the light blue bra that had difficulties to hide her voluptuous breasts. She hadn't brought the uniform's blazer either, since it was too hot outside and would have hampered the airflow of her rather loose clothing.

Or maybe she had done this on purpose.

It was possible that she wanted to be more relaxed around me, now that our relationship had progressed past a certain point. A near-rape victim like her wouldn't just forget what I had done during May, but she did her best to work through these problems by staying close to me in an environment she considered safe.

The shared rooms on the cruiser were enough to assure her mind that it would be fine to stay in proximity to me in such revealing attire. Her fears would dwindle in accordance to the amount of wholesome contact we had, even though these deep-seated scars would never heal.

My adorable queen recognized that I would take a peek, at most.

She used this knowledge to influence her subconscious, and instruct it to feel secure around me in such a vulnerable, rather intimate state between us, proving to herself that the kindness and affection I exhibited towards her hadn't been a dream and could be relied upon in the future.

"Mh?"

Kikyou pressed the power button on her phone and placed it on my pillow before she rolled over towards me. Her right hand stretched over my chest and reached for my left arm. She dragged it towards herself and placed my palm around her shoulder.

A faint smile surfaced on her face as she curled up into me.

"You seem off. Distracted, somehow. Is everything okay?"

Was she worried about our new relationship?

The actions of my lovely classmate differed from her usual behavior.

This must have been the reason she misinterpreted my distractions as indifference towards her, or even remorse for what we were doing to Chiaki. Such a conclusion was not sound or reasonable in any form, but she must have had a lot of thoughts about this new normal, which might have unsettled her.

Had I become complacent?

Was I getting too used to her?

"Just a bad feeling."

My queen tilted her head and crawled up to my chest with a pure smile. Her smooth palm reached out to my cheek before she leaned forward and acknowledged my dark foreboding with a tender kiss filled with affection and warmth.

"Because of this?"

"No, this has nothing to do with it."

The sweetest giggle escaped her lips as they brushed along my own.

"How about I kiss you until this unease is gone, then?"

Kikyou repeated the same adorable motions again and again. Once, twice and ten times over until I pulled her closer and massaged the back of her head, whereupon she shut her eyes and snuggled into me.

Any normal person would have fallen in love with her after such a passionate display of devotion. If someone had told me that our screaming, cursing and deceitful class devil could be this pure and tender, I wouldn't have believed them. Without my torture and the psychological warfare thereafter, I might have never seen this wonderful side of her.

But she was still suffering.

"I'm pretty sure that something is going to happen soon."

"Please don't tell me it's another fucking exam."

And there she goes again...

Her loving side might be new and interesting, but Kikyou wouldn't be herself without the curses and profanities. I wondered whether she would try to change herself if I said that I preferred one over the other. This could be an interesting experiment for later, but we had more important things to take care of right now.

"Well, that would be a lie."

"Again? Seriously?"

"It's just a hunch."

"If it's yours, then it's practically confirmed, right?"

Just who did she think I was?

My classmate took a sharp breath before her crimson orbs peered deep into mine. Her arms snaked around my neck as she spread out on top of me, unconcerned with the two soft mounds that pressed into my chest like clouds or servings of fresh cotton candy. These actions wouldn't lead to anything romantic, as they were her attempt to overwrite some scenes from the horrible night back then with newer ones where she was in control over the situation.

Kikyou understood her condition and knew how to solve it.

If I were to grab onto her waist now, she would shake in fear.

Me touching this region would trigger dreadful memories, which was why my palm wandered towards her back in reassurance. She noticed this supporting gesture, realized that I perceived and encouraged her earnest attempts to change our relationship for good, and tilted forward.

My queen trusted me, despite the inhuman things I had done to her.

"Shh... it's okay. I won't hurt you anymore."

Time passed as we cuddled like this, with her in the 'dominating' position and me below. This was necessary to convince her mind that she was in control and safe from any further attacks. These adjustments weren't a one and done deal, but the false and distorted feelings of 'love' that had blossomed inside her would reinforce and speed up the process.

The charming girl rolled off my chest and leaned into my shoulder.

"How did you get that hunch of yours?"

"Have you seen Sae around the past few days?"

A frown surfaced on her face.

"I haven't."

The current situation made me speculate whether she would have realized what I was hinting at if her thoughts weren't disturbed because I called our 'sadistic bitch of a teacher' Sae instead of Chabashira. She disliked most of our classmates, or at least parts of them, but I was saddened to hear that one of my favorite instructors was included in this list.

Was she jealous, perhaps?

"Have you seen her before the island exam?"

"Um, yeah. She always relaxed at —" The remaining words stuck in her throat as she recognized the intent behind my question. There was only one reason that Sae wasn't relaxing at her usual spot, after all. "Oh, fuck no!"

Kikyou cursed before her head slumped on my chest.

She moved closer and embraced me as if we had been together for months or years already. Her heartbeat was much calmer than Chiaki's whenever she was this close to me, but this didn't mean that she cared for me any less. Where my girlfriend got excited and giddy, Kikyou remained calm yet still affectionate in her own way.

Both girls cherished me.

One was sincere and pure in her love, while the other was indoctrinated to like me through a combination of fear and kind gestures throughout our time at school. My queen wasn't stupid and realized what I had done, which is why I had crushed her psyche once again when I dealt with Sakura and the store clerk.

Afterwards, she had stopped resisting.

"At least it's not a remote location. The teachers have to prepare something in advance and there is no island or anything similar near our current position. I also doubt that they would give us a similar exam twice."

My charming classmate had been stressed out over the last exam.

She had received multiple important tasks in making sure that no one would use points behind Chiaki's back and keeping the overall mood of the camp high until I began to enact my plans. Hirata had helped her, of course, but it was still a lot of pressure, since she didn't want to fail and disappoint me.

I took her into my arms and closed my eyes.

The almighty internet was quite knowledgeable, if one knew how to use it. My dark past with this technical achievement still loomed over my head to this day, but it was helpful when I dealt with things involving the opposite sex. Especially about making them feel comfort in a stressful or uncomfortable situation.

Kikyou's breathing calmed as she nuzzled into me.

This broken relationship we had, this entirely twisted, warped and corrupt thing between us, there had to be clear limits. Both of us would be weakened if rumors — or worse — confirmations about us were to spread.

Her usefulness would plummet below zero, while I might lose Chiaki and her trust in me, which would compromise my arrangements going forward. My girlfriend still had a purpose to serve, but I wouldn't need to keep her around any longer once she fulfilled this objective.

I had no qualms about cultivating this relationship with my queen a little as her current longings and wishes were emotions I could use to my advantage. Deepening our bond now would prove useful in the long run and would never come to bite me. The girl who was known and loved as Kushida Kikyou would rather carve her own heart out before she betrayed me, as I could extinguish the angelic goddess she had established with a simple snap of my finger.

She grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her head, as if she wanted to hide. Her legs flapped around as she tucked them underneath the newly acquired cover. The whole bundle wriggled closer to my head before it came to a sudden halt as a crimson-colored face revealed itself.

"Hey, Kiyotaka..."

Kikyou averted her gaze and covered half of her face with her arms.

"What is it?"

"K-kiss me, please..." Her body temperature sky-rocketed as she grabbed onto my fingers. "You aren't engaging with me at all, unlike the times you kiss Matsushita." She caressed along my hand and embraced it like a treasure. "It's not like I'm needy or anything alright? It's just that I feel worried? Fuck... I don't know. This is so weird... I never had to deal with something like this, so I don't understand shit, but your behavior... It's frustrating, I guess."

A sigh crept through the room as I bent forward.

Her lips felt different, but not by much.

They were a little softer than my girlfriends and tasted like toothpaste instead of tea. I felt as if I compared two nearly identical products that had been manufactured by two different companies. Their taste might be similar and even the ingredients might have been the same, but one would still differ from the other.

"Did you just sigh before kissing me?"

I couldn't marvel at her pout for long as she leaned in again.

At least she wasn't aware that I was comparing their lips while trying to figure out what exactly felt different between them. If she realized that I analyzed their skills and characteristics, then she would drown me in the pool.

"Hey, how far did you and Matsushita go?"

My classmate bent over and reached for the water bottle on my bedside table. She unscrewed the cap and drank a few mouthfuls of the transparent liquid before placing it back where it belonged.

Go where?

Oh, there.

"We had sex."

Kikyou squirted her water straight into my face.

Wait, no — dangerous territory.

Kikyou sprayed the water, which she just drank, into my face.

"YOU WHAT?! WHEN?" Her two crimson orbs widened in realization as she lowered her voice. "It was after your accident, wasn't it? That's why you told me to make sure that no one walks into the cave, right? You are fucking unbelievable..."

I used my shirt to wipe away the cold liquid that trickled down my hair and face while she sat on my lap with an unhappy expression. My queen averted her gaze and mouthed a silent 'sorry' before she slipped to the side. Standing up, I took off my shirt and hung it over the towel holder in the bathroom to dry.

"Hey Kiyotaka... what is she to you?"

Her quiet voice traveled through the room as I made my way back to our shared wardrobe. I opened the door to the section I was allotted and grabbed a new shirt. Upon turning around, I couldn't help but notice Kikyou's gaze on my chest.

This was the second time she saw my naked upper-body, aside from the swimming lesson we had in April. Back then, her gaze had changed little as she mimed the pure and angelic classmate that could do no wrong. This time, however, it was filled with curiosity, intrigue and wonder.

Wait, was this so-called fan service?

Shouldn't she be the one standing here half naked?

Wait... was I being lewded?

Was this reverse fan service then?

I shook my head, banishing those thoughts. This was a difficult question to answer for someone like me, who didn't have first hand experience on how the entertainment industry used this technique to garner fans. Sotomura would be a safe person to ask, just to make sure that I hadn't misunderstood.

"She is the means to an end, nothing more."

"Uwah! That's what I'm talking about."

The blonde gyaru leaned back and stretched her arms into the air, enjoying the freedom and dream-like vacation this ship granted us after our struggles on the island. This action was rather imprudent, as she revealed certain captivating curvatures along her slender body which would be visible to everyone at this table, including me.

Maybe she had forgotten that she took off her blazer?

"It's been too long since we hung out together, right?"

"And whose fault is that, mhh?"

Satou glanced at Chiaki in harmless banter while Karuizawa lowered her arms. The triplet of objectively beautiful girls began to laugh, spreading their cheerful mood towards the surrounding tables. All three sipped on their orange juice from time to time, while I got ready to dive towards the ground in case another classmate turned into a makeshift fountain.

Please people, don't drink and laugh.

"Sorry, sorry..." My girlfriend held up her hands in an apologetic gesture before a warm smile spread over her charming face. "I didn't expect to be this tied down by my position as class leader, but you could have come over to talk anytime."

Karuizawa and Satou glanced at each other.

According to their expressions, they had qualms about this offer, but were unsure if it was a good idea to inform Chiaki about their concerns, as she might get mad at their reason for not hanging out with her. They averted their gazes towards my girlfriend simultaneously, almost as if they had trained this or communicated their intentions via telepathy.

"No way. I keep my distance when you are in class leader mode."

"Yeah. You're hella scary. Like for real."

Chiaki was taken aback by this sudden accusation.

She must have realized that her classmates respected and maybe feared her a little, but she didn't expect that two of her closest friends would rather stay far away from her when she was dealing with class matters. This should have been a predictable outcome, however, after Shinohara had received the stick treatment during the last exam.

"Eh..? Am I that intimidating? Kiyotaka?"

"Mh, I don't think that you are particularly scary, but I'm your boyfriend, so I know sides of you that others don't. Sudou and most of the guys fear you, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if this was the consensus in our class."

"See? Even Ayanokouji-kun knows."

Am I that clueless?

Both girls held their bellies, which seemed to hurt from all the laughter, while Chiaki glanced at each of us, confusion written all over her face. She seemed somewhat uncomfortable after this revelation, as she must have thought that her kind older sister vibe from before hadn't been forgotten.

Talk about a rude awakening.

"Our classmates were like totally terrified of you after that whole Sudou-thingy because of the three expulsions. It's similar to how everyone listens to this Ryuuen person because they are scared, but also different because you care about us."

Did Karuizawa just compare her to Ryuuen?

I began to pat Chiaki's head to calm her down.

Chiaki kept whispering and repeating the phrase 'Similar to Ryuuen...' over and over, as if she was caught in some kind of horror loop or a deep trance, which could spiral into something even worse. This should have been one of the most painful comparisons a human being could have made, especially for a young and charming woman like her.

Did she want to traumatize my cute girlfriend, or what?

"Well, it's not a bad thing, you know? They respect you, which is good, right? After our victory on the island, they basically idolize you, so you don't need to worry about anyone outright hating you. Except for Shinohara-san, maybe..."

"The most important thing is our advancement to Class C!"

"Yeah, two more to go!"

Satou's last statement was overshadowed by Karuizawa's loud cheer, as if to spare Chiaki from another heart attack. I doubted that this would have affected my girlfriend, but my classmates began to cheer and bump their drinks together to forget the last few words we had exchanged.

Neither of them noticed that my phone vibrated due to this sudden victory celebration. My hand slipped into my pocket with subtle, covert movements as I checked the pop-up notification I had received.

[Kikyou] Do you want to join us at the pool tomorrow?

"Hey Chiaki, I'll go back to my room. My leg is acting up again."

A well-practiced apologetic expression surfaced on my face.

"Oh, okay. Have a good rest, Kiyotaka."

My girlfriend was unhappy that I had to leave so soon, but understood that I was still hurt and needed to recuperate. She helped me up and made sure that I could stand without trouble before she planted a loving kiss on my lips.

"Yeah, I will. Thank you."

"Hey, what's wrong with his leg?"

Karuizawa-san supported her head and glanced past me.

Even back on the island, she had still distrusted the boys, despite my best efforts to reveal Ibuki-san as the underwear thief. The only ones she hadn't been angry with and talked to were Kiyotaka and her boyfriend Hirata-kun.

I thought that she trusted him since we were all friends, but after realizing that everyone feared me to such a degree, I wondered whether she was mad at him as well and just said nothing to protect herself from my potential wrath, in case I got angry with her for his sake.

The slap Shinohara received must have been fresh in her mind, so maybe she decided to play it safe. Their feelings disheartened me, especially since Karuizawa-san and Satou-san were two of my closest friends. We always had fun when we hung out, even though it was difficult to talk about serious topics with them.

Was I the only one feeling this way?

Being both feared and loved was more difficult than expected...

"It's still the injury from the accident. The doctor said that it's just strained, but the pain seems to flare up in random intervals. She said that it's nothing serious and that it will improve over time if he takes it easy for a few days."

"Right... he fell down a ravine when he was renewing the spots at night. I didn't even ask if he was okay because I was so pissed with the guys that I just surrounded myself with the girls all day. Ahh mou..."

She looked down and pierced her fingernail into the drinking straw.

I guess she wasn't angry at him after all.

The pleasant aftermath of his accident replayed in my mind as I followed his receding back. This memory would continue to accompany me until I died of old age. I still couldn't believe how careless we had been, but when we started to kiss, I couldn't hold back the yearning that had increased over the course of our relationship any longer.

We were still young — in the prime of our lives even — so I hadn't been worried about our first time or things like this. But I could have never expected that we would do it this soon, this sudden, without warning or preparation.

I hadn't even properly showered...

And I said that I loved him...

He hadn't answered — neither confirmed nor denied his feelings for me while I blurted out my affections because of the atmosphere and the pleasure I had felt during this wonderful moment. Even though he had kept silent, his kiss was so much more loving and tender than usual.

Kiyotaka had assured me of his feelings in his own way.

Ahh, I want to do it again...

"What's with the sudden blush, mhh?"

Satou-san's mischievous smile deepened as all color left my face.

"Oh, I was just happy that he wore the clothes I chose for him."

"Heh, really?"

"Really..."

The girls glanced at each other and shrugged.

I doubted that they believed me, but I was glad that they weren't pushing the issue. It's not like I could tell anyone that I had sex with my boyfriend during an important exam. If word got around, we would both be in trouble, so I couldn't let this slip under any circumstances.

Kiyotaka had an easier time since he was impossible to read.

The day I confessed our first kiss to my classmates still slumbered in my mind. Acting as a constant reminder that I had failed at keeping this secret in the worst possible way. At least I had made progress in this department as time passed. Kissing was one thing, but what we did a few days ago was another matter altogether.

"Ah, Matsushita-san, Karuizawa-san and Satou-san!"

Two indigo buns bobbed up and down as our companion bounced towards the table. The three of us greeted our new arrival, as well as Mori-san, who walked through the door a few moments after her. We offered them to sit, since we still had enough space for two people.

I leaned into my palm and sipped on my juice as I thought about how this exact group went out with Kiyotaka and Hirata-kun on our second day at school. If Karuizawa-san's boyfriend hadn't invited him, we might have never gotten to know each other. It was funny how these small choices affected all of us and led to this current situation.

We discussed a few girl topics, switching from clothes, accessories and makeup to boys, relationships between the student body and other stuff. Most of my female classmates seemed to have noticed that Kiyotaka and I had become more intimate over the course of the island exam, but they didn't know why. It was alarming to see how they picked up on such insignificant changes, while neither of them could wrap their head around the important problems in this school.

If my lying hadn't improved, we would have been done for.

"Ah, that reminds me, Matsushita-san." My eyes focused on Mii-chan, who regarded me with a mystified expression. "I was curious how we received so many points compared to the others, but my calculations seem to be off."

"What do you mean?"

"Okay, so we started out with 300 points and had to use none of them to purchase items, thanks to our deal with Class B. Guessing the two leaders correctly brought us another 100 points for a new sum of 400. Then I asked Hirata-kun about the number of spots, which he confirmed to be twenty-one. Ayanokouji-kun held all of them for the full duration of the seven days, except for the one Class B gave us during the first night. He renewed the spots after eight hours throughout the exam, which leads us to nineteen reoccupations. Two of these for twenty points each and seventeen for twenty-one points per trip. Adding these numbers brings us to 397 bonus points for the spots and a grand total of 797 points from which we have to subtract 5 points for Ayanokouji-kun's absence during morning roll-call. Do you know why we only received 787 points even though we should have obtained 792?"

"Heeh... that's indeed — wait, I don't get it."

"Me neither."

Karuizawa-san and Satou-san burst out into laughter.

Oh, that...

"Yes. You remember that Chabashira-sensei mentioned that Kouenji-kun was a close call, but that she wouldn't deduct any points since he answered the second time, right? The school saw his GPS location at eight, which wasn't close enough to our camp, so they subtracted them to keep it fair."

"Ah, I see... so it was something like that, after all."

The lie was sound, and the string of words slipped my mouth as smooth as if it had been a fact. Pulling Kouenji-kun into this dilemma might have not been fair to him, but he never told me how he managed to keep my boyfriend on the island without losing points, so he deserved some harmless payback.

My classmates wouldn't be mad at him either way, since he took care of the spots after Kiyotaka's accident. Suffering a five point penalty was nothing more than a single drop in the ocean in comparison. Chabashira-sensei was also on board with deceiving them after a small payment, so I had all bases covered in case someone investigated.

I couldn't tell anyone that I bought sweets for Kiyotaka...

Silence followed my repeated knocks.

She must have assumed that the person in front of the door would leave if no one responded to the inquiry, but this cheap trick wouldn't work on me, since I knew that she was all alone in her room due to Kikyou's message.

My knuckles hit the wooden frame another three times.

"Yes?"

A weak, yet charming voice enchanted my ears.

The volume of her speech was so much quieter than usual. Her articulation sounded frustrated since I kept knocking despite her indifference and lifeless because of her current depressed mood. She lay in bed, buried in her warm, comforting blanket, which wouldn't do her audibility any favors either.

I was surprised that I could perceive her bewitching murmurs at all.

"May I come in?"

Something, likely the lamp on the bedside table, crashed into the ground. This noise was accompanied by a cute squeal and followed up by hasty steps which carried the occupant away from the door, towards the bathroom. Another commotion followed as multiple synthetic and metallic items smashed onto the floor before the door opened up.

Ichinose's hair was disheveled and stood up in numerous places.

Moist, heavy breaths escaped her stunning lips as she smoothed the protruding strands by caressing over them with her palm. The fruity scent of strawberries embedded itself into my nostrils as a fresh summer breeze surged through the opened bath window towards our position.

Her face was colored in a mild crimson, which betrayed her state of mind.

"W-what are you doing here, Ayanokouji-kun?"

She stood in front of the entrance and leaned her arm against the frame in a rather uncomfortable position for her height. Peering past her enticing figure rewarded me with a glance at her previous clothes, including a pink underwear set, which had been sprawled out over the bathroom floor.

The door should have closed as she was on her way over, but it was obstructed by a pair of trousers, similar to the ones Ichinose wore. The faint odor of flowery detergents tickled my nose as I stared at the lavender-colored top she threw over herself before she dashed to the entrance.

Her appearance was enticing, so inviting that I couldn't help but wonder whether she had given herself enough time to put on a bra. According to the clues I found behind her, I wasn't even sure if she was wearing panties right now.

No, she had certainly put on underwear.

Ichinose wouldn't answer the door like this.

"Um, I came here to check on you, since Kanzaki and the others mentioned that you haven't been feeling well. There's also this key-chain I found in a giftshop on the seventh deck, which reminded me of you. It wasn't expensive or anything, so don't even think about paying me back for it. You deserve a gift from time to time."

I revealed a small panda that was holding onto a thin bamboo pole.

This present was nothing special, but I knew that she loved those little creatures, so I thought of her when I spotted this assortment on my date with Chiaki. The key-chain would fit to the cuddly toy, which peeked through the cracks in Amikura's blanket. She must have hidden it on her classmates bed, embarrassed about the fact that she had brought it with her.

Anything coming from me would have cheered her up.

"Whoa, he's soo cute! Thank you so much."

A bright, almost blinding beam spread over her face.

Heartfelt, genuine happiness reflected in her big, ocean-blue orbs as they sparkled in the sun, like stars on a night sky. This short-lived delight soon subsided as her depressed mood shoved it aside and took over. Once again, she was reminded how affected she was when I was around and how easily 'Chiaki' had used this weakness to manipulate her.

"Ah, Sorry, sorry... please come in and make yourself at home."

I nodded and stepped inside after her.

Despite her invitation, it was weird to tread into a bedroom where four girls slept. The scent inside their cabin was sweet, fruity and pleasant, unlike the one in the boys' quarters. Our lodging was heaven compared to Sudou's, which reeked of sweat and other substances that Ike must have shot into his tissue collection when he was alone.

The interior design was the same throughout the ship, so their room was furnished similar to ours. Even though this was the case, I felt more comfortable in here than in my own cabin. The atmosphere was congenial, which must have been because of my lovely company, who shut the door and turned around, facing away from me.

Ichinose froze as she peered into the bathroom.

She had planned to lead me into the room to sit so that we could talk, but this thought evaporated into a cloud of pure panic as she saw her dirty laundry on the floor. My eyes would move there if she sprinted over now, which she couldn't take responsibility for. All she could do was to distract me for a prolonged amount of time, until she could just close the door to the bathroom in passing, without attracting unwanted attention.

"Ahh, do you want something to drink? We still have MAX coffee or —"

Her smooth, crystalline voice vanished as the jittery steps of her feet came to a sudden halt. The reason for this change in demeanor was my hand, which clutched onto her arm as she tried to walk towards the kitchen area to our right. She spun around with a startled expression, unable to hide her rosy cheeks and reddish ears.

"A-ayanokouji-kun?"

She was going through a rough patch because of my actions and the decisions these activities forced her to make, as both would have led to the same conclusion. I wanted to stay by her side during such a terrible time because the damages I had caused were nothing compared to the appeasing feelings my warmth could offer.

My delicate, fascinating schoolmate felt disgusted by the steps she had taken at the end of the island exam, and her strong reactions were proof that something had happened in her past. These recollections left a deep, uncomfortable wound that hadn't healed just yet.

And I had torn it open.

I pulled her closer with a light tug, not too forceful, almost as if she had decided to take these steps on her own. My palm slid along her smooth lavender-colored top and grasped onto the back of her head as I nudged her into my shoulder with a small, gentle amount of pressure.

The love-struck girl leaned further into my warm, comfortable embrace. Slowly and with great care, as if she was tip-toeing on a razor's edge. Her heartbeat quickened and increased in intensity as the muscle in question drummed against her chest. Both excitement and embarrassment spread through her frame, disguised as a fuzzy feeling.

Ichinose closed her eyes and adjusted her head until she found a more comfortable position before she entrusted me with her body and all the pain, all the sorrow that dragged her down, bound her to the bed. Her hot breath tingled my neck as she rubbed against me like a lonely kitten that sought attention, love and solace.

She wanted more than this, but wasn't selfish enough to take it.

This was all she could allow herself without betraying her ideals. Despite everything 'Chiaki' had done to her, Ichinose decided to stay true to her beliefs and suffered in silence while the girl who endangered me and betrayed them flaunted her happiness.

If I were to kiss her now, she would self-destruct.

This suffering, unhappy and naïve maiden would return my gesture without thinking of the consequences. Unable to hold herself back, she would take what she desired and wouldn't be able to stop herself until our lips brushed against each other at least once.

Other than Fuka or Kikyou, who would have continued despite, or even to spite, my girlfriend, she would have pulled away and faulted herself for this unintentional infringement of trust.

Neither of them knew that I couldn't feel love.

I may be a monster and might not deserve a happy ending.

But I wanted to try, at least.

"I don't know what happened on the last day of the exam, but you are beating yourself up over something you did for me, right? I may not be the person you want to talk with or open up to right now, but please know that I will always be here for you, no matter what. Whether you are laughing or crying, sad or angry, happy or worried, I will always have an open ear if you need it. Kanzaki, Amikura and the others feel the same way. So please, cheer up Ichinose."

My palm caressed through her hair as I closed my eyes.

A thick white mist obscured my senses whenever I tried to feel the emotions I sought to convey. My shallow, battered husk, a few years of age, stood in the cold abyss, all alone.

No one would ever come to save me.

Back then, I had realized this truth. I began to shed all obstructions, all the weaknesses that had tied me down, in order to survive the harsh, unforgiving environment of the White Room.

Sympathies, desires, affections and concerns were poison.

They infiltrated the human body like an infectious virus and weakened it from the inside, similar to a cancer cell that metastasized — spread through every essential organ — and caused tumors to sprout like colors in a mixed flowerbed until your miserable life withered away.

Even though beautiful, they extended the pain, the suffering and the misery until you died.

Individuals that don't operate on cold, hard logic were doomed to fail.

The girl in my arms said nothing as she listened to our synchronized heartbeats. Her hands grasped onto my shirt, squeezing, pulling it closer towards her to feel my warmth, the compassion and the kindness I was ready to share with her when a sudden wet sensation flowed over my shoulder.

Warm tears trickled onto my shirt, one after another.

Both of us lost track of time, as we felt comfortable in this embrace.

I would stay with her as long as she needed me, keep whispering sweet lies into her ears as often as she wished and hold on to her supple yet delicate and frail body until her heart's deepest desires were fulfilled.

Her trembling grip alternated between loose and intense as the minutes flew by. She wanted to let go, more than once or twice, but decided against it before committing to her resolve, afraid that this might be the last time that she could allow herself to be this close to me without feeling remorse or self-hatred for her actions.

Ichinose wouldn't tell me the reason for her current depression, because she was hesitant to show me this ugly side she wanted to keep hidden, buried behind the girl she presented everyone with. Unlike Kikyou, she never wore a mask — she truly believed in utilitarianism, but threw her ethical conduct overboard to protect me.

She stole from forty people to help one.

One person who she classified as more important than her friends.

If she had asked her companions, they might not have said yes. Kouenji had put her under additional pressure as the time of my demise drew near. This uncertainty about their decision and the ticking down timer had forced her to decide in a moment of vulnerability. She put her own desire, her love for me, before the feelings, opinions and happiness of her friends — her family.

I thought this to be quite the charming gesture.

Class B's loveable leader pushed her crimson-colored head deeper into my embrace. Her sweet, inviting lips opened and closed a few times as she breathed against my neck. She managed to forget the pain for a fleeting moment because of the compassion I demonstrated towards her self-inflicted suffering.

"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."

"You don't need to thank me."

"Mh, I do. I also need to apologize for showing you my lame side."

"It just confirms my assumption that you are a human."

A sweet, melodic chuckle sneaked its way into my ears.

I was glad that she could relax, even if it was just a little.

Me being here in this room, embracing her like a lover might, was both soothing and heart-wrenching. It was painful and unfair, but also wonderful and coveted. Ichinose cherished me, just like Chiaki, but she would never voice these feelings, not while I was in a relationship with someone else.

This was her charm, and what made her so interesting.

Ichinose always thought about other people first, which was why her actions were predictable. She would have tried to keep me safe from Chiaki even if she hadn't loved me, but she would never have spiraled out of control like this. Her actions would have been calmer and better thought out before she talked to her classmates.

And they would have decided together.

Another deep breath followed.

This time, she loosened her embrace and let go.

The lingering warmth my body had been enveloped in faded as she took a step back. Her soft, comfortable chest had stopped caressing mine as the last remnants were blown away by the breeze that still swept through the bathroom window. I could still feel her arms clenching onto my back, even though she had interlaced them in front of her.

"I appreciate your concern, but I shouldn't have hugged you for such a long time. Matsushita-san would surely be mad at me if she knew this, so we should stop being this close to each other when we are alone."

She had noticed how dangerous our situation had been.

Ichinose had a line she wouldn't cross and this decision would help her keep this in mind. Now that we had shared such an intimate moment, she realized that she couldn't trust herself around me. One wrong step from her, or my side, would have led to something she wouldn't have been be able to recover from.

"She knows that I wouldn't let down a friend in need, so I believe she would have understood. You were there for me when I needed it, so I'm just returning the favor. I know that we are in different classes and thus supposed to be enemies, but I hope that you two can put your differences aside someday. Chiaki may be my girlfriend, but you and the rest of Class B are my important friends as well. I don't want to lose any of this, just because the school wants us to compete."

She lowered her head as a weak whisper escaped her lips.

According to the frightened expression she wore, I hadn't been supposed to hear these words. She gleamed at me and my immediate reaction as if she had just committed a tremendous blunder. My demeanor remained unchanged, which eased her worries and dispelled the tense atmosphere that had appeared.

The question I shouldn't have picked up on, was sincere.

"Why couldn't you have been placed in Class B..?"

I returned to my room after the talk with Ichinose.

It was an easy endeavour to dodge all the students that knew me given the enormous size of the cruiser. The bespectacled staff member that cleaned the area around our cabin regarded me with a courteous nod and emptied one of the wastebaskets that were affixed all over the ship.

Kouenji just stepped out of the shower as I shut the front door.

"If it isn't Ayanokouji-boy."

"Could you put something on maybe?"

A thunderous laugh escaped the naked boy, which made his manhood dangle around due to the movements of his body. He didn't seem to mind this sudden exposure, as he wasn't even walking towards the speedo on his bed.

"That reminds me, your little scheme has worked, which was to be expected. The baboons you wanted to distract visited me a few hours ago, but do not worry, I have dealt with them appropriately. They had been rather impolite in front of a perfect existence such as myself, so I advise you to avoid their presence at all cost."

"That was my intention."

He slipped into his speedo as I walked towards kitchen area.

I didn't mind his company, as long as he was dressed, at least. Previously, I had found him to be rather irritating, but we had gotten somewhat closer after the exam and our wager. We even exchanged numbers, but similar to Fuka, he demanded something quite ridiculous in return.

My arm reached for the cupboard as a gust of wind brushed past me.

Kouenji who had been standing near his bed around six meters away, dashed towards me before his right leg came flying for the back of my head. His speed was beyond the human limit, leaving me no time to dodge. My feet shuffled over the ground as I adopted a defensive stance and deflected the kick towards my right just in time.

A loud thud reverberated through the room as skin collided.

His leg was the superior tool in this current confrontation. Not only did he have enough time to strike out, he also held the advantage in strength against an arm. If I had blocked the attack, my bone would have bent out of shape and snapped like a frail twig in a hurricane.

He's strong.

"I must admit, I underestimated you yet again."

A rare compliment fled his lips.

"No, you were once again putting too much faith in your abilities."

The toothy grin on his face widened as he lowered his leg. He eyed me with expectations, wondering whether I would return the favor and attack him as well, but there was no need to reveal more of my physical abilities at this point in time. One would have been able to tell that we were evenly matched from this short-exchange alone.

"Take care now, Ayanokouji-boy."

Kouenji strode out of the room as elegant as ever.

He was indeed a man of his word, and I was glad that I could rely on him. For this one misdirect, at least. I doubted that he had any problems dealing with Ryuuen and his henchman as neither of them could touch him if he didn't want them to.

I lay down on my bed to rest, as I received a message.

Since I had some time to kill, I grabbed my phone and read through the contents. Upon realizing that Sudou invited me to the pool tomorrow, I almost let out a chuckle. He was a good guy, a great friend even, if one desisted from the bad behavior he exhibited from time to time.

His outbursts had decreased thanks to Sakura, and it was about time to make him and Onodera acquainted. I was friends with both of my classmates, so it wouldn't be weird that their names came up in our conversations and that we might decide to hang out with each other. Both of them were fellow athletes, so they had lots to talk about, even without me.

Everything proceeded according to my arrangements.

It was a shame, however, that Sakura's room was filled with the worst people a girl like her could live with. Aside from the self-explanatory waste of oxygen that was Shinohara, there were also Ichihashi and Maezono, both of which were rather unpleasant girls. They would have been decent roommates for Karuizawa, or even Satou, but Sakura couldn't deal with their meanspirited attitudes.

Shinohara kept slipping further down the class hierarchy, since she had done something a few crocodile tears and lame excuses couldn't fix. I doubted that she'd do something to Sakura in her current condition, but she wouldn't help her either as she was occupied with resolving her own mess.

Her actions made her usable, and not only for me.

Ichihashi was fine but somewhat of a 'Villager A' figure in our class. She didn't stand out and wasn't good at anything in particular. She just existed. Maezono was quick to pick a fight if someone bothered her. She also knew when to stay low, as seen during the island exam where she hadn't argued with Chiaki or Karuizawa due to their high standing in the class.

Sakura won't find happiness in her room, but she wouldn't be bullied either. I had already damaged this sweet and affectionate girl more than necessary in order to teach Kikyou a lesson. If I had swooped in instead of Sudou, she might have eventually developed feelings for me, so I was comfortable letting that man do what he wanted without interfering.

Even though she was good looking and easy to manipulate, she was useless to me, so I never considered getting closer to her. My favorite delinquent needed a voice of reason and she was good enough for the job, if she managed to convey her feelings someday, that is. Our gravure idol was easier to influence than Onodera, but both of them were manipulable.

Sudou was a colloquial handbag dog, after all.

I doubted that he would hit a girl if she wasn't fighting him with malicious intent. His threat to Suzune on the first day should have been a bluff as well. He was angry and easy to irritate, but he would never lash out against a defenseless woman. Similar to a small annoying dog, he was all bark and no bite.

My phone rang as I was about to take a quick nap.

A sigh escaped my lips.

This sound was proof that my assumption about another, incoming exam had been correct. The loud ringtone would only play if the sender was the school itself, which meant that it was important and affected everyone on the cruiser. If it had been a normal message my phone would only have vibrated conforming to my notification settings.

Maybe we crashed into an iceberg?

"Attention. This is an announcement to all students. All of you should have received a message from the school. Please check your individual mobile devices and follow the instructions..."

Another notification popped up as I listened to the broadcast.

[Kikyou] Why are you always right? ｡･ﾟﾟ*(д)*ﾟﾟ･｡

I marked it as read and focused on the important information.

[ANHS] A special test will begin soon. Please gather at the designated room at the provided time. Anyone who arrives later than ten minutes after the specified time may be penalized. Please gather in room 204 on the second deck by 17:00 today. Because it takes about twenty minutes to reach the area, we ask that you use the restrooms now if necessary. Either silence your phone or turn it off and make your way over.

The room was too small to fit a whole class, so the school must have split us up in different groups. The only variables in this equation were the rooms and the time, which could differ depending on the person receiving the text.

[04:37:47 PM] Forward me the message you received.

[04:37:59 PM][Kikyou] A special test will begin soon. Please gather at the designated room at the provided time. Anyone who arrives later than ten minutes after the specified time may be penalized. Please gather in room 202 on the second deck by 20:40 today.

[04:38:21 PM] We are being split up, so I need you to memorize everything they tell you once inside in case we get different explanations. Also, get me a list of rooms and their times according to the messages our classmates received. Don't forget to designate one person in each group to memorize or write up the names of everyone taking part, if such an action is allowed. Coordinate with Chiaki and tell her you'll take care of the organization.

[04:38:29 PM][Kikyou] Consider it done.

The school would have multiple viable reasons to separate us, but it was impossible to narrow it down at the moment. We might receive different explanations in case we had distinctive roles assigned to us according to our rooms and the time, for example. Gathering more information beforehand could prove beneficial to the problem's solution.

[04:38:30 PM][Chiaki] Kiyotaka, can you give me the time and location you received from the school?

[04:38:36 PM] Sure. 17:00 in Room 204.

[04:38:44 PM][Chiaki] Thank you (◕‿◕)

My girlfriend had her own thoughts about how to tackle the exam, so it was to be expected that she would ask around as well. With Kikyou helping her she would have an easier time to figure out our game plan, depending on the exam.

I stood up from the bed and was about to head to the indicated location as I received another message. Aside from Chiaki and I, she was the third party interested in taking an active part in this exam, due to her promise with her brother.

[04:38:59 PM][Suzune] What was in the message you received? Mine says Room 204 at 20:20.

[04:39:20 PM] Mine is 204 at 17:00.

[04:39:45 PM][Suzune] Your meeting is soon. I'll leave you to it then. Tell me what you found out later. Good luck, Kiyotaka.

[04:39:50 PM] Thanks.

The intervals seemed to be blocks of twenty minutes each, according to the data available to me. Since my queen had a different room than us, there was no specified cabin per class, which meant that the rooms themselves weren't important. If Kikyou's meeting was the last, then we would form twelve groups for this exam, which would put our member count per room at three or four, depending on the allocation.

I strolled towards the second deck, just as instructed.

My steps halted in front of the door, around ten minutes prior to the designated time. No one aside from me was here, which was to be expected as I hadn't been too far away and didn't need to change my clothes. The adjacent rooms could be the gathering place for other classes, which was why I leaned against the railing and tapped around on my phone.

Two Class A students walked up the flight of stairs a few minutes later and stopped at the room labeled '202'. The purple-haired girl glanced around and caught sight of me, whereupon her tanzanite-colored eyes quivered for a moment. Her classmate, a boy with long, black hair stared at me upon noticing her reaction.

Scary...

The pair mirrored my actions as they waited outside the room and leaned against the railing. I focused on my phone and kept typing on my notepad to make it seem like I was busy chatting with someone while the new arrivals began to chat about what they did today and similar trivial topics.

Kamuro Masumi and Kito Hayato.

Together with the boy called Hashimoto Masayoshi they were part of the Sakayanagi faction and close companions of their leader, similar to Ibuki, Albert and Ishizaki for Ryuuen. Kikyou also mentioned that the girl was Sakayanagi's right-hand woman and stayed with her throughout most of their time at school.

"Oh, what a pleasant coincidence, Ayanokouji-dono!" Sotomura walked up to me with a brilliant smile. He glanced around the area, nodded at the two Class A students and stopped beside me. "This development is most agreeable."

"Professor, what have you been up to these days?"

"Ahh! I'm glad you asked, Ayanokouji-dono! I've been grinding with my recently promoted SSR character in this new game that released a few days ago. It's the long-awaited mobile variant of the popular..."

He leaned over and showed me the game on his phone.

The minutes flew by as the Professor informed me how he managed to spend his time in the game as efficient as possible, without losing out on his progress in other games when his finite energy reserves ran out, whatever that meant. I kept nodding and engaged in the conversation since I was interested in what he had to say.

There was so much to learn about this world, and Sotomura had extensive knowledge in topics like history, information technologies and everything that included gaming, anime and manga. The latter part offered a whole new realm of knowledge as I had never read or seen anything like it during my time in the White Room.

Some people might have been put off by him and his quirky manner of speech, but I was intrigued on how he could spend so much time with games and similar sources of entertainment that were essentially useless.

Few of his hobbies would make him a valuable person.

Yet, despite this, he was pleased.

Should I try to play some video games as well?

It's not like I was lacking points...

"Excuse me for a moment, Ayanokouji-dono."

He pulled the pulsating phone out of his pocket and glanced at the display. At first I thought that it might have been an important event in one of his games, or an alert he had set up as a reminder for something, but this sentiment vanished as he took the call and brought the phone closer to his ear.

"Oh, Kushida-sama! I'm in front of room 204 with..."

Kamuro and Kito kept listening to our conversation as they mimed their own. He finished his exchange with Kikyou before we continued our previous chat about this game of his. Another one of my classmates walked up to us during this time. She greeted me with a quick wave of her hand before she entered the room we had been assigned.

Her name was Azuma Sana.

I knew little about her, but she was one of Kikyou's followers. She was decent in both academics and sports, but aside from this she had no qualities that would interest me or anyone else in this school. Similar to our other classmates, she had a defect, but due to her lacking skills she was neither worth fostering nor exploiting.

"Yo, Ayanokouji-kun."

"Heya, Ayanokouji-kun."

Beppu and Himeno walked up the stairs a few moments after Sotomura finished his explanation. The pair stopped in front of the room next to us, which confirmed that every class from A to D had one group meeting at the specified times. No one from Class C had shown up yet, but three out of four is enough to draw a sound conclusion.

"You guys are here as well, huh?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to..." Beppu held onto the metallic railing and stretched his arms out towards the blazing sun as if grasping for something. "... just when we attained freedom once again. Reality, what a cruel mistress."

Himeno heaved a sigh and slapped his head.

"Stop messing around. There's only a minute left."

"Hai ~ Hai. See you later Ayanokouji-kun!"

I waved them goodbye as the two walked into their room.

The three awaited Class C students arrived as well and vanished into the room labeled '205', just as I decided that this was enough reconnaissance for the moment. Judging by the traffic around the area, most of our groups should be complete by now. At least one person from Class B was missing, which should be Ichinose or Kanzaki.

Both would have a lot to settle and organize as soon as an exam was announced, so it wouldn't be weird if they were cutting it close, or arrived after the official meeting time. Since the school had given us ten extra minutes, they had some leeway to discuss their strategy and create a temporary plan.

"Let's get in as well?"

I turned my phone off as per our instructions and glanced towards the Professor who kept exiting his games and clicked away a multitude of notifications that wanted to convince him to stay online, before he turned towards me.

"Yes. I shall follow you bravely, Ayanokouji-dono."

Still couldn't believe that he said this out loud...

Even though he was quite the nice guy to be around, the girls felt creeped out by him and his behavior. Everyone had their own circumstances and beliefs, so I appreciated that he could stick to his hobby so openly. Some of our classmates didn't accept him, but he never cared about their mean words and enjoyed his life the way he preferred to.

I knocked on the door, just like Azuma before us.

"Enter."

A reply came immediately.

It was a man's voice, a familiar one.

If I wasn't mistaken, it was Mashima-sensei's.

The Professor and I strode into the cabin and glanced around. The person in charge of the room was Class A's homeroom teacher, just as expected. He wore a tailored suit which fit him like a glove. I had to admit that he looked professional in both his business-oriented attire and the training jersey he had donned on the island.

Whatever this special exam was, our teachers either knew the solution or would have an easier time in figuring it out, which is why they had been tasked to inform the other classes about the test. A cunning teacher like Hoshinomiya or Sakagami wouldn't be able to drop any subtle hints this way, assuring a fair competition.

A shame that I couldn't see Sae today...

Pens and papers had been placed on a small, round table.

I couldn't help but notice that we had four chairs as the two of us sat down. Azuma widened the distance between her and the Professor while I observed the room for anything out of the ordinary, like cameras or microphones.

"We are still waiting on one more. Please sit quietly."

My mind began to work as we waited for our classmate.

Even though I had few hints to go on, I could theorize which would at least speed up my perception of time. Due to the materials that had been prepared beforehand we might be tasked to complete some kind of group practice. Our member count would fit, but the process itself was silly, and I doubted that this elite school would stoop so low.

The task I had read about was to build the highest structure with the materials provided, which were pens and papers in this case. Maybe there was some kind of twist to it, like it had to be so and so high or had to carry a load of x kilograms. Thinking about it this way, I doubted that a group that consisted of Ike, Okitani and Wataru could accomplish such an assignment.

Two knocks resounded through the room, while my mind was constructing the Leaning Tower of Speranza. The time was 17:04, meaning that the person in question was late, but not too late to be penalized. Mashima-sensei told the individual to enter before Karuizawa strode in with her head held high.

She wasn't the worst partner, but also not the best.

At least I was on good terms with her, and she would listen to Chiaki's plans. I didn't even want to imagine how disgusted her face would be if we hadn't become friends throughout our time here. Getting her was a couple hundred times better than having to deal with Ike, Maezono or Shinohara, so I wouldn't complain.

"Pardon the intrusion! Oh, hey! What's going on Ayanokouji-kun? Do you know why we are here? Wait..." She took two steps back towards the door. "What is he doing here?"

Her voice changed from a respectful tone in front of the teacher, to delight when she caught sight of me, before it turned into a deep repulsed frown when she glanced over to the Professor. She hadn't even mentioned Azuma, but I wasn't sure which reaction was worse.

I felt bad for the two of them, truly.

When I first entered this school, I believed that the girls would treat me like that. But Hirata had saved me from this dark prospect. He was a great guy, and I owed him my gratitude for inviting to join them that day.

"I believe you were told that punctuality was key, and yet you're late. Hurry and take your seat."

Mashima-sensei didn't seem angry, just disappointed.

According to his reaction, he wasn't worried that he might not have enough time for the following explanation, which assured me that the school had expected some students to arrive late, despite the ample time we had to prepare.

"Okay."

Karuizawa wasn't particularly affected by his words and glanced at the free chair next to the Professor. She grimaced in revulsion, peeked at Azuma and moved the chair over to my side since she knew me the best of everyone here. Yet I still had to wonder what she would have done if we hadn't been friends.

Would she have just walked out again?

She didn't sit as close as Chiaki would, but also not too far away from me. The distance between us mirrored our current relationship as friends who respected each other and had fun together from time to time. We might never have gone out with just the two of us, but she was one of the girls I had spent the most time with after Chiaki, Kikyou and Suzune.

"Sotomura, Karuizawa, Ayanokouji and Azuma from Class D." Mashima looked at each of us as he said our names. "I will now explain the special test to you without further ado."

Please don't let me build a tower with them. Please don't let me build a tower with them.

These chants reverberated through my mind, scarred by the simulations I ran ever since she had entered the room. I would have been able to build a tower with one of them, but all three would be a nightmare. Even though it was impossible, I could already hear Karuizawa's appalling insults towards Sotomura when he stood to touch the paper she wanted to use.

"Woah, wait a minute. What do you mean explain a special test? Wasn't it already over? The one on the island where your class finished with zero points, you know? And what's with that guy anyway? I don't like him."

She's harsh, as always...

Karuizawa seemed like the person who only skimmed a message for underlined or bold words since she was too lazy to read the whole thing as 'A special test' had been the first three words in the text we had received.

How could anyone have missed this?

"I will not answer questions. Be quiet and listen."

He glanced at her with a rather cold expression, as if he understood that she wouldn't shut up without a stern warning. Sae and Mashima-sensei were rather similar in their overall appearance as neither would have problems to earn respect in front of the students. If Hoshinomiya had been explaining the exam for us, we would sit here until midnight.

Or worse...

"Jeez, all right. I'll shut up."

My classmate crossed her arms and legs, as if she had been offended by his words. She seemed annoyed and kept twirling her foot in circles as if she was bored and sick of this whole meeting barely a minute and three seconds in.

"In this special test, all the first-year students will be divided into twelve groups based on zodiac signs. Everyone will take part within their respective group. This examination tests your thinking."

We're doomed.

"What do you mean by 'test our thinking'?" Karuizawa held her head, turned off by this whole situation. "That makes no sense, like at all. Right, Ayanokouji-kun? Tell him that this is nonsense."

Why would you pull me into this mess?

I nodded, hoping that this would appease her without angering Mashima-sensei, who was about to pop a vein. This was an understandable reaction, and nobody in their right mind could fault him for wanting to just kick her out again.

"I've already told you that I won't be answering questions."

The gyaru realized that messing around any further would lead to a penalty after his stern second warning. She leaned further back into the chair and stopped sitting straight, still discontent with the whole situation. Instead of an adolescent girl, she looked like a small child that got her lollipop stolen.

"Society needs three fundamental qualities in order to progress: action, thinking and teamwork. Those with the necessary qualities will become wonderful adults. The previous exam on the uninhabited island focused heavily on testing your teamwork. However, we shall now test your thinking in four ways: your ability to process information thoroughly, which is an essential component of this test. Your ability to analyze information and clarify the task at hand. The ability to solve the problem after you've clarified the process and identified the task. The ability to utilize your imagination, and the ability to create new values. Those are the qualities you need."

That's such a long-winded explanation for thinking.

Couldn't he just have said, 'Think, Mark. Think!' and everyone would have understood?

I didn't know where this originated but it was funny, according to Fuka.

"As I've said, in this test, we have divided you all into twelve groups. Are there questions?"

Why would he ask this?!

"I don't get what any of this means." Karuizawa sat straight and stared at Class A's homeroom teacher as if he had run over a group of children. "Can you explain it in a way that's, like, easier to understand? Like I get that we are divided into twelve groups, but why am I together with that guy?" She pointed at Sotomura with a dissatisfied expression." What about Hirata-kun? Or the other girls? At least kick that guy out and get someone else. Come on. Please?"

If my theory was correct, then the four of us were part of a bigger group, just like the students from the other classes that were listening to another teacher's explanation now. If this weren't the case, they could have just grouped us up in the theater and explained it to everyone at once, like they did on the beach.

This meant that the groups of three to four people would expand into a bigger one of twelve to sixteen. If we take the class sizes and missing students into consideration the average would be pushed down to around thirteen. This, times the number of zodiac signs would leave us with 156, meaning that every group should have thirteen people, except for one with twelve. This way, all 155 students present on the ship would be part of one of the twelve zodiac animals.

So far, so good.

"You four gathered here will be in the same group. At this very moment, students in the other rooms adjacent to this one are receiving the same explanation as you from the other homeroom teachers."

"If that's true, wouldn't it be easier if you just gathered all of our classmates together in one place and explained it? Also, what's the reason for putting me with that guy? Why? He's gross! Ayanokouji-kun and Azuma are fine, but he? I hate him."

Karuizawa couldn't stop raining complaints down on Mashima-sensei solely because of Sotomura's existence in our group. Her reactions were quite funny to me, as she would have never complained if he had been a good-looking guy like Hirata. She would have just sat here with a smile and listened to the teacher's explanation without worries.

The Professor kept quiet.

He wasn't the type of guy to start a fight, even if he had done nothing wrong. I was friends with both of them and wanted to get this explanation over with. My classmate might not agree with my reasons for keeping quiet now, but she would at least understand my thoughts and calm down.

"Karuizawa, we are still in school and one of their examinations just started. Even if it doesn't look like it right now, the teacher might note down anything that happens, similar to back when the school started. We should be careful as to not leave a negative mark on our records, don't you agree?"

She didn't meet my eyes, but turned to the side.

"F-fine. Sorry about that, Mashima-sensei."

A rather adorable pout formed on her face.

I had known that she had a cute side to her, since she sometimes revealed it when we were out playing with Chiaki and Hirata, but it was strange to see it without them around. She had her quirks and wasn't a very nice person to most of the other guys, but if you were lucky enough to be in her good graces, she was a great friend.

"Listen. Your group assignments are a done deal. If you want a good evaluation, you must get along."

"Tch."

Would she and Ibuki get along as well?

"Well then, please let me continue the explanation."

"Wait! I still don't understand why only the four of us are together and not the whole group."

Her words were at least impartial, now that she had stopped to trample over Sotomura's feelings. Even though it didn't sound like it, she took my advice to heart, which made me somewhat happy.

"It would appear that you cannot help but be concerned by this small gathering. Therefore, I will try to provide an answer. The groups don't consist of members from just one class; they comprise about three to four individuals collected from each class. If we didn't explain things in advance, we would risk confusion."

I'd say Karuizawa is still confused, despite him trying his best to avoid it.

"W-wait a minute! What do you mean? I still don't get it at all? Why are we going to be grouped up with the other classes? Isn't this crazy? They are supposed to be our enemies, right?"

How on God's green earth did they get 787 points?!

"We grouped up with Class B in the last exam, didn't we?"

I tried to reason with Karuizawa in order to help the teacher, whose sanity seemed to perish every time she opened her mouth and revealed another question. Despite my best efforts to mediate between them, she shut me down immediately.

"That's beside the point, Ayanokouji-kun."

"Right now, you shouldn't spend your energy on trying to understand this test. Rather, focus on how to think. Your group assignment is 'Rabbit'. Here is a list of members. You will be required to return this list when you leave the room. If you feel it's necessary, I would recommend trying to memorize it now."

He passed a sheet of paper to us.

On the note were thirteen names, three from Class A, B and C, and the four of us. Just as Mashima-sensei said, we were the Rabbit group. The name was written in both Chinese and Japanese, which was placed in parentheses on top of the paper.

Class A: Kito Hayato, Machida Koji, Kamuro Masumi

Class B: Ichinose Honami, Beppu Ryouta, Himeno Yuki

Class C: Manabe Shiho, Yajima Mariko, Nishino Takeko

Class D: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Sotomura Hideo, Azuma Sana, Karuizawa Kei

So it really was Ichinose, huh?

"Don't worry, I will answer every question you have. I believe you will understand everything afterwards. Probably..." His words ceased for a moment as he glanced at Karuizawa, having lost all hope in her ability to process this information." The point of this test is to ignore the prior fraught relationships between Class A to D. If you do, you'll have a shortcut."

"What does that mean now?"

Karuizawa was undoubtedly annoyed.

I didn't think she was stupid, but she wasn't paying attention at all. She wasn't this distracted during lessons or when we hung out with each other, so she must have still been trapped in a shock-induced paralysis because of Sotomura's mere presence, which disgruntled her to a terrifying degree.

"From this point on, you are no longer acting as four members of Class D, but as a part of the Rabbit group. Whether you pass or fail this special test depends on each group."

It wasn't a bad thing to stay grouped up with those people for a few days, as I might learn a thing or two about Kamuro and Kito. The Class C students were no-names, aside from Nishino, who seemed to be a close friend of Ishizaki, according to my most-trusted source. She might be worth taking a peek at as well, depending on how their relationship turned out.

"There are four available outcomes that can be achieved in this special test. No exception. We have also prepared handouts with the grade items so that you may better understand them. However, you are prohibited from taking these handouts, snapping photos of them, or anything of the sort. You should verify the contents here and now."

There they go, my materials for the tower...

The sheets themselves smelled of fresh ink, meaning that they had just been printed and that we were the first students that got to know about this special exam. I skimmed through the basic rules, which were spread out over a few pages and familiarized myself with potentially available loopholes and achievable outcomes.

The assignment centers on a VIP, which will be assigned to each group.

The exam starts at 08:00 AM on the first day.

This is where each student will receive a message from the school, informing them whether they had been assigned the VIP position in their corresponding group.

The exam ends at 09:00 PM on the fourth day.

Each group has to gather twice a day for one hour each at a predetermined time and place to discuss matters with their groups. The contents of the discussion is in our discretion, so we don't have to talk with our members if we don't want to.

At the end of the exam, the VIP students of other groups must be identified.

This will be done in between 9:30 PM and 10:00 PM on the final day.

Each group may answer only once. If more answers are given, only the first one is valid. The answer must be sent to the faculty members through a certain address that will be provided to our mobile phones.

If the answer is sent from someone outside the group, it will be marked as invalid.

The VIP student can't send an answer.

Details of the results of the exam will be mailed to students by 11:00 PM on the final day.

One of the four outcomes will be triggered by providing answers to the school.

...

Outcome 1: Share the identity of the VIP and clear the exam together as one.

If the answers of the VIP student and the other group members are all correct, they will all receive private points (500,000 private points for members and 1,000,000 for the VIP).

Outcome 2: Answer incorrectly and the group loses, but the VIP still receives points.

If there are incorrect answers or unanswered questions by people other than the VIP student, only the VIP student will receive 500,000 private points.

Outcome 3: A traitor uncovers the identity of the VIP.

If anyone besides the VIP answers the question correctly before the allocated time has passed, their class will be awarded 50 class points. Additionally, the individual who provided the correct answer will receive 500,000 private points.

Classes whose VIP have been identified will receive a penalty of -50 class points for their whole class. Once this has been achieved, the test will be over for the group.

However, if a member that belongs to the class of the VIP answers correctly, the previous result will be made invalid and the examination for that group will continue.

Outcome 4: The traitor disregards the judgment of the VIP.

If an individual other than the VIP provides an incorrect answer before the designated time has elapsed, their class will be subjected to a penalty of -50 class points each, but the VIP will still be granted 500,000 private points. Moreover, the class to which the VIP belongs will be awarded with 50 class points.

If the answer is given incorrectly, the group's exam will end.

However, if a member belonging to the class of the VIP is the one who answered incorrectly, the answer will be invalid and will not be accepted.

Deafening gasps rang through the cabin, due to the insane amount of private points we students could receive if we worked together during this examination. It was difficult, almost impossible to achieve outcome number one in either of the groups, however. This was brought by the existence of a single individual who couldn't be trusted to keep his word.

Ryuuen Kakeru.

Since he had full control over everyone in his class, he would know all his VIP's for certain. Even if his classmates denied telling him their status or attempted to lie, he could just check everyone's message for himself. The ones who didn't comply would be beaten into submission until they revealed the passwords to their phones.

If he gave the command, his subjects would listen.

Each class could walk out of this exam with a huge gain in private points, if all students adopted Ichinose's sentiment. The amount we could receive was enough to save a student from expulsion, provided they had lost no students as of now, or had enough VIPs to offset this loss in manpower.

'Equality' would dictate three VIPs per class.

"The school will take anonymity into account during this test. At the end, only the outcomes for each group and the increase or decrease in points for each class will be announced. We will not disclose the name of the VIP students or those who submitted an answer. There is also the possibility to have a temporary ID assigned to you, to which you can transfer the points afterwards. It is also possible to divide up the earnings and receive them that way. If you yourself remain quiet, there should be no fear of discovery after the test. You may also receive your points openly if it's unnecessary for you to hide your identity. Each decision is perfectly fine with the school."

So many possibilities...

Sae might have her promotion to Class A sooner than she had expected. My favorite instructor might get into trouble once we were back at school because of this sudden rise to the top, but neither of us needed to worry, as she had nothing to hide.

"There should also be a list of prohibited actions on the sheet. Make sure to survey them."

The list he mentioned consisted of obvious things like stealing another person's cell phone and submitting an answer with them, as well as using threats or violence to get information related to the VIP's identity. The highest level punishment was expulsion, but very few people would be stupid enough to risk getting caught. It was almost impossible to hide such actions as they would open a thorough investigation into the matter.

Another rule limited the discussion among students from other classes, which were forbidden during the examination period. If you broke that rule, you'd be expelled. This policy required us to be heavily monitored, which was rather difficult on this giant ship. The strict methods the school applied reminded me of my previous home.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, huh?

"Tomorrow you will go to your designated room at 1:00 PM and once again at 8:00 PM. Your group's name will be displayed on a nameplate outside. Be sure to introduce yourselves properly when you meet the other members for the first time." He glanced at Karuizawa, who didn't notice his gaze. "Leaving the room during the examination is prohibited after you've entered. Please use the restroom ahead of time. In the event of an illness or that you can't endure it any longer, please contact your homeroom teacher immediately and make a request."

Karuizawa slid her chair over to me and bumped my shoulder with hers. She pointed at the different sheets with rules, regulations, outcomes and forbidden actions on the table in front of us with the most overtaxed expression I had seen from her to date.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Do you understand any of this?"

"Not really. I guess I'll just do what Chiaki tells me to."

"Hmm..." She supported her head with her palm. "That's not something a man should say, you know? That's also one of the ten commandments of dating, so keep this in mind for the future. But yeah this time, I get it. Like it's so much easier for the ones who understand all of this stuff. It should be fine if we let them take care of it, after all."

She nodded multiple times, pleased with her analysis.

"Hey um... Mashima-sensei, right? How long do we have to stay in the room if we can't leave, anyway? I don't want to spend a minute more than necessary with...out Hirata-kun. He's my boyfriend, you know?"

Her quick reaction speed was impressive.

I was touched that she had taken my advice to heart and began to warp her words into something that sounded considerate, even though it wasn't. As far as I could see, the school had placed no cameras or microphones in the room, but Mashima-sensei might still take notes about our behavior, which could impact our monthly evaluation.

"The explanation is written on the sheet. The discussion period is an hour."

"That is far too much to read..."

She grumbled into her palm before she propped herself up. I assumed that no one but me had heard these words, since Sotomura and Azuma were distracted with the rule set and the instructor hadn't sighed in defeat. My classmate must have seen the giant wall of text on the pages and just shut down to protect herself from too much information.

It was already decided that Chiaki and Hirata would take care of this test from her point of view, so she didn't even feign interest in this assignment. She would just follow the directive of Class D's leadership, similar to our previous exam. Everything had worked out well the last time, so she wasn't worried.

Mashima-sensei concluded the meeting and told us to vacate the room before the next group arrived. Both the Professor and Azuma went their own ways, while I glanced at Karuizawa. She pulled out her phone and messaged someone not even a second after we left the room.

Taking this as my cue, I turned to walk away.

"I'm going to the bar. Do you want to join Ayanokouji-kun?"

I had to admit that I was surprised by this sudden invitation. It wasn't like we never hung out, but it had never been just the two of us. We had exchanged messages in private before, of course, but that was about it. Since she had texted someone, we might meet up with Chiaki, Hirata, Satou or someone else from our usual group.

"Um, yeah sure. Let's go."

Three Class C students knocked on the room we just exited as I walked towards her. I pulled out my phone and texted Kikyou that I was done and that she should send me a report as soon as she had any news. Her answer came in mere seconds, as she had already created a table showing the times and room number, as well as the people in the group.

Figure_1

[05:17:48 PM][Kikyou] Kouenji didn't reply yet, and I have a feeling that he's ignoring me. I guess he's in room 203 at 17:40 with Minami and Anai since the other groups are three to four people each.

[05:18:12 PM] That's fine. These are only the preliminary groupings. Every small batch of students joins up with another group from the other classes, forming a bigger one. This formed group gets a named based on the Chinese zodiac signs, in my case 'Rabbit'. The students in my group are Kito Hayato, Machida Koji and Kamuro Masumi from Class A. Ichinose Honami, Beppu Ryouta and Himeno Yuki from Class B. And Manabe Shiho, Yajima Mariko and Nishino Takeko from Class C. Complete the table for me once you have all the info and let me know.

[05:18:55 PM][Kikyou] Okay. What are you going to do until then?

[05:19:03 PM] Karuizawa invited me to lunch.

[05:19:09 PM][Kikyou] Huh?!

Yes, it was indeed quite surprising.

The two of us walked beside each other and talked about some useless trivia. She told me that Mii-chan and Mori had joined up with them after I left and that they had wondered about my relationship with Chiaki. It didn't seem like she was digging for information, but notifying me that some of our female classmates might come to bother me with questions.

Maybe this exam wasn't too bad for me.

At first I had planned to take care of her at school because I would have had more time and space to navigate, but since she was in my group, I could scout her during this exam and might be able to accomplish my goals before we returned.

Let's play, Karuizawa Kei.